ARDEID^ BOTAURUS 93 



Distribution. The Cape Bittern is confined to South Africa. 

 Nocana on the Okavango Eiver shortly before it enters Lake 

 Ngami is the most northerly point whence it has been procured, 

 but it is not uncommon in Cape Colony and Natal in suitable 

 situations. 



The following localities have been recorded : Cape Colony Cape 

 division, Somerset and Ceres (S. A. Mus.), Verloren Vlei in Piquet- 

 berg, Zoetendals Vlei in Bredasdorp (Layard), Port Elizabeth, 

 rather rare (Brown), East London, occasionally (Wood), King 

 Williams Town, twice only (Trevelyan) ; Natal Durban harbour 

 and Mooi Kiver (Woodward), Newcastle, fairly common (Butler) ; 

 Orange Kiver Colony Bloemfontein (Barratt), Kroonstad, once, 

 December (Symonds) ; Transvaal Potchefstroom, May, August, 

 October (Ayres) ; Bechuanaland Nocaua on the Okavango, July 

 (Fleck). 



Habits. The Cape Bittern resembles its close ally the European 

 bird in its habits ; it spends the day concealed among the rushes 

 and reeds, and only emerges towards the evening when it seeks its 

 feeding grounds with slow and laboured flight. Its food consists 

 of fishes, frogs and other aquatic animals. Under ordinary circum- 

 stances, the cry of the Bittern is a sharp, harsh " quirk," but during 

 the breeding season, especially at night, the male bird makes a loud 

 booming noise, resembling the deep bellowing of a bull, whence 

 doubtless the bird derives its name. At Potchefstroom Mr. Ayres 

 was informed by the Boers that this curious loud noise pro- 

 ceeded from a -gigantic snake that lived in the swamps, but on 

 following up the noise he discovered the real cause very quickly. 

 Mr. Ayres further relates that the Bittern is an exceedingly pug- 

 nacious bird when wounded, throwing itself on its back and 

 defending itself with beak and claws, both of which are exceedingly 

 sharp. 



There is no very definite information about the nesting habits 

 of the Cape Bittern. Mr. Layard was informed that it bred at 

 Verloren Vlei, and a pair of eggs were brought to him by Mr. Hugo, 

 of Frensch Hoek, which were stated to have been laid by this bird ; 

 these were dark olive-green and smooth like those of a duck. 



